Horatio Gets Some Tail
by The Cowgirl Bookworm
Summary: Horatio didn't intend to get caught up in the underwater world of Miami. But what would you do when you saved a mermaid? Horatio/OC
1. Chapter 1

Horatio Caine wasn't sure why he had come down to the beach. Sometimes he came to just think, other times to swim or search for elusive seashells along the Miami beach. He would never keep them, but just admire the natured nature and time working together. Sometimes he found sea glass, which he kept, or broken bottles that he recycled. He didn't like how people would just throw out their trash along the beach. It was thoughtless, rude, and sometimes deadly for the ocean life. The beach was deserted at this time of the night, a rippling breeze fluffing his hair. He could almost hear something on the breeze, a high breathy sound that he could swear was a voice. He tried to follow it, farther down the beach, the lights of Miami behind him.

The voice grew louder, and he could feel it wrapping around his ears, his mind. He had to help whoever this was, that much was obvious. He needed to find them, get them to safety, and do whatever he could. He picked up his pace, sand spraying out around his feet as he ran further along the tide line. Finally it was ringing in his skull, close as he would get. He glanced around, desperate to find the person who was calling.

He could see someone spread over a rock in the seawall that was nearby, hair hiding their face.

He scrambled down on the rocks, calling out. "Are you alright? I'm with the police, I can help!"

The figure's head stirred. "The net, please." The voice was female, that he knew. Horatio stepped over to the rock she was holding onto. Sure enough, there was an old fishing net someone must have thrown overboard, and she was caught up in it. He reached over, slipping his fingers around the net. It was twisted around her pretty bad, and just after he started to pull it away, he realized something.

This woman wasn't wearing a swim suit.

Not a bikini, a one piece, or any other kind.

She was naked.

He told his eyes to stay on the net, untying tight little knots that must have gotten drawn even tighter in her struggles. Finally, the knots came undone, the net slipped from his fingers, and he actually touched her. He tried to pull her back, but the woman jerked out of his grasp. He snorted, reaching out for her as she floated away. Her eyes held his, green flashing in the lights from the city. Hair as red as his tumbled down to the water. He stepped out farther onto the rocks. "Come back! You need to go to a hospital."

The woman smiled, shaking her hair away away from her face. "I can't, but thank you."

"What?" Horatio wanted to step farther out, but there were no more rocks for him to jump to. "Come closer! We can talk about it!"

"Thank you, but I really must be going." She floated away, her arms propelling her.

Horatio bit his tongue, slipped his shoes off, and stepped into the water. It was warm that night, and he could swim fairly well. But she was better than him, dipping underneath the water even as he got closer. He glanced around, unsure now that this was the best course of action. The water in front of him bent, her head emerging. She was right in front of him, chest to chest as she looked at him. Horatio felt his breath hitch, she was beautiful.

"Why did you jump out here?" She asked, her hands linking around the back of his neck.

Horatio suddenly found it hard to think. "You're hurt. You need help."

She shook her head, "Not from your kind."

"My-" Horatio was cut off as something rose behind her head. It was a tail, a large feathery fin flapping on the end of it. He tried to figure out something to say, but he couldn't. A mermaid? Everything in science told him that was impossible. And yet, here she was.

Had somebody slipped pills from the evidence locker in his coffee?

She smiled, drawing herself closer to him. "I'll be fine. And thank you." With that, she wrapped him in a kiss that he didn't want to end. She was soft, yet powerful. And when she broke apart, her hands moved from his neck to his chest, pushing him away. He felt the seawall at his back, but he could still taste her on his lips.

"Where do you go?" He called as she turned to leave.

She paused in her movements. "Around, why?"

_This is crazy, but I'd rather make sure I'm not dreaming. _"There's an abandoned dock near here. Meet me there tomorrow?"

"Fine." She called, and then he heard the slap of fins as she swam away.

There was no way he could tell any of his team. They'd think he was crazy.

Maybe he was actually going insane.

But he'd sure as hell be there tomorrow.

* * *

**AN: Well, here's my little cracky story. Hope you liked it! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Horatio was positive he was going crazy. There was no other way to explain him standing at the edge of a dock, a bucket of KFC in one hand, waiting for a mermaid. He should just go back to his place and get some sleep. Eric had probably slipped something in his coffee yesterday, that was all. He'd hallucinated the whole thing, and he should just go to bed and forget about it.

A slap echoed throughout the night, water churning around a figure rising out of it. Flaming red hair broke the surface, a coy smile on her lips. Horatio wet his own, "I thought you wouldn't come."

She snorted. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well," Horatio cut himself off. "I don't even know your name."

"Kiya, it's the closest in your language to the old language."

"Horatio. What's the old language?"

Her tail lifted, slipping through the water. "The language of the ocean. What is that, if I may ask? That red and white container?"

Horatio looked down. "Food. I didn't know if you would keep me waiting."

"Do you mind?" Kiya grabbed onto the edge of the dock, hoisting herself and her tail onto it. "I'm rather hungry." He shook his head, setting it on the dock. She attacked it, tearing off strips of meat and chewing as fast as she could.

"Do you not eat often?"

She spoke around the food in her mouth. "Oh, fish. Seaweed. Mussels. But I haven't eaten in a few days." Kiya swallowed, then fixed him with a glare. "You haven't asked though."

"Asked what?"

"If you're going crazy. If there's really a mermaid sitting in front of you, eating your food." Her tail flopped loudly on the dock, and Horatio jumped a little. "Why?"

He sat down on the dock, reaching for a piece of chicken. "That's why I asked to meet you. I thought I might have been, but you showed up and now I know I'm not." He bit into it, watching her.

She smiled. "You are something else."

"So, are there more mermaids?"

Kiya looked out to the water. "Yes, but Miami is my territory. There are about ten of us that have taken up residence here."

"Ten?"

"Three on the docks, five on the beaches, one that likes the Everglades, and myself." Kiya reached down for more, only to find the bucket was empty. "Damn."

"Wait, how do you speak English?"

Another smile. "There are some of our kind, those who can go onto land and split their tail into legs. They bring back news, language, occasionally a lost mermaid who needs to be brought home."

"And you?"

Kiya snorted, loudly. "Do you see legs here? It takes years of study and a certain kind of magic to be one of them, a Siren." She shrugged. "As for me, I set up shop here. I watch you humans, if I feel like it I let one or two see me. Some writers have taken their inspiration," She gestured down her body. "From this."

Horatio shook his head. "Will you come back tomorrow?"

Kiya looked out, following the moonlight on the water. "I need to patrol. Other mermaids, they aren't as nice as me. There's been one hanging around recently, now, you've seen the papers right? Have there been a rash of drownings recently?"

Horatio blinked, twice.

"How did you know?"

Kiya nodded, more to herself than anything. "That ought to be her. I need to deal with this. Stay away from the water for a few days." She pushed herself off the dock, her tail landing loudly in the water. She looked up to the sky. "When the moon is a crescent, you will find me." And with that, she slipped beneath the silver waves and was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Horatio sighed as the police boat puttered out into the ocean, headed toward one of the small islands off the coast of Miami. Despite what Kiya had said, the drownings hadn't stopped. This was the fifth this week, and the moon was fading, but slowly. Frank clomped off of the boat as it pulled onto the sandy shore of the island, looking at the body. It was an older man, hair greying slightly and his body wedged between the roots of a mangrove tree. Eric was already taking pictures, Calleigh and Wolfe were combing the island for any evidence.

So far, nothing.

"I don't get it, Horatio." Frank said, "Is it just some random trend?"

_No, Frank. It's a mermaid having fun. _He couldn't say that. "Might just be an influx of tourists that get caught in the riptides."

"Well, whatever it is I wish it would..." Frank's voice trailed off as a note lit up the sky. Eric dropped his camera, turning towards the water. Calleigh and Wolfe came running, only stopping at the water's edge. The note held itself, then split until the melody wound its way around them. Eric stepped into the water, moving out towards the ocean.

_That's what you should do. Go in the water. The woman who's singing that, she must be beautiful. She'd love you. There wouldn't be any of this out there. No more death, no more losing loved ones. Just her, laying in her arms, holding her, being with her. _Horatio followed Eric, as did the rest of them. He only paused slightly when he saw Eric flop over into the water, not rising. A troubling thought came through the music.

_That shouldn't happen. Eric's a good swimmer. _The song still pulled him though, and he could feel the sand shelf getting lower beneath his feet. The ocean was soaking his suit pants, his gun, ruining them. It didn't matter though. All that mattered was the woman, the bliss he could have if he found her out there. His feet kept moving until he couldn't feel the sand anymore, and he knew he had to go down. She was under the water, he could save her and she would take him away.

Instinct forced a breath into his lungs before he dove.

There she was, so beautiful. Her dark brown hair swirled around her, red tail flashing as she circled Eric. OF course she was a mermaid, nothing that pure and beautiful could be a human. She moved closer, the song breaking off as she blew bubbled into Eric's lips. Horatio bared his teeth, the seawater burning. Eric shouldn't be doing that. She was his. Well, he'd just have to kill Eric, then he could have her. She'd like that, it would show that he really wanted her. That it was him she should choose. Of course, there were others. He'd have to kill them all, they might try and take her. He had just removed his gun, raising it to club whoever was closest to him, when a blur of copper-red and green slammed into the mermaid.

The song broke off in a series of discordant notes that made him slam his hands up to his ears, his lungs burning for air. Suddenly he remembered he needed to breathe, and he kicked towards the surface. The others apparently felt the same, for the only noise they could hear now was the sputtering of people trying to breathe as the ocean tried to drown them.

"What the hell was that?" Frank croaked, meaty hands flapping underwater.

Horatio didn't respond, but pushed his head back below the surface. The green tailed one was still there. _Kiya_, a voice told him. The red one, whoever she was, had vanished. Kiya looked up, glaring at him. He scrambled backward as she came rushing to the surface in a spray of foam and hair. THe first thing he registered was an accusing finger pointed at him. "I told you to stay away!"

"H, is that one of them?" Wolfe called out from the island. Everyone but him had swum back, shivering on the shore.

Ignoring Ryan, he turned to Kiya. "I did. It's been a week, I thought you'd taken care of her."

"She's," Kiya turned her head so that she could look towards the horizon. "She's tricky. I'm doing my best."

"Five people are dead."

"I know, I'm working on it." Kiya quickly grabbed his arms, apparently signaling the end of the conversation. Her tail quickly propelled them to the shore, and for a moment Horatio reveled in the feeling of cutting through the water. Is this what she felt like all the time? So powerful? He scrambled onto shore, while she used her arms to pull herself up slightly. The team backed away, their fear almost palpable.

Kiya laughed. "I'm not going to hurt you."

They looked to Horatio.

"She's not, I met her before."

Frank snorted. "Can she tell us what that was?"

"Have you never heard of the siren's song?" Kiya cocked her head to the side at Frank's negative response. "The song that promises all of your desires, only in exchange for your life?"

"Like the Odyssey?" Ryan asked.

"Exactly, although Homer got a few things wrong."

Horatio turned to the team. "That's why there's been drownings. She's been singing to them." He turned to Kiya. "But why would she want to kill them?"

Her tail flicked out, spraying sand. She was nervous. "A human killed by a mermaid, it does something to the mermaid in question. Some kind of power, making her song even more alluring. Get enough, you could even charm fellow mermaids."

"Is there a reason for it?"

The tail slammed, scaled rippling in the light. "She's trying to take over a territory, turn the mermaids living there against the one in charge."

"Is that how you took over?" Calleigh called from the safety of the boat.

Kiya looked distraught, upset at the mere mention of it. "No, of course not. I'm one of the few who like you humans. I set up here, then the rest of my group came. We don't want to hurt you, we just live around your shores. We got tired of all the bickering and infighting in other places."

That made Calleigh shuffle her feet, unsure of how to respond. "So you don't kill?"

"No, we may sing, but only when there is no one around." Kiya's voice grew proud. "And never the death song, only songs that will help the ocean clean itself, or calm a storm slightly. There's more uses for our song than killing." A wave broke over her, water dripping down to splash on wet sand. "You need to go, and take him with you." She pointed to the body. Eric had already zipped it up in a body bag, and he and Frank were carrying it to the boat.

Horatio stayed where he was, looking down at Kiya. "We're meeting. Tonight, same dock."

If she thought his request strange she didn't say anything, merely scuttling back until she reached the water, and then swimming away. His only response was a raised tail that slapped loudly against the water.

* * *

It had quickly been agreed that they were _not _going to tell people about the mermaids. They'd all be fired, or at least put on personal leave until they could see a shrink. They'd worked on other cases, trying to forget the drama they had just witnessed. After his shift he picked up some sushi, then made his way to the dock. Kiya was already waiting, her tail hidden under a tarp that had been left there. She ate a few piece of the sushi, obviously waiting for him to talk.

"I tried to kill them." He said, watching her reaction. She blinked, licked her fingers clean, and raised an eyebrow.

"That surprises you?"

"They're my friends, why did I try to kill them?"

A shrug. "The song, it messes with your mind. It draws you to her, and for you humans it makes you want to kill each other, like that would please her." She popped a few more pieces of the roll into her mouth. "But it wasn't you, it was whatever sick twisted thing she planted inside you."

He furrowed his brows. "So I had no control?"

"Only enough to keep you swimming. Soon enough, probably before you could even get to any of them, you would have run out of air. She was enchanting you, trying to get you to die. The longer she could hold that fantasy, the quicker you would die."

"Have you ever done it? Killed someone?"

Her chewing stopped, and he could see her swallow. A hint of her tail fin peeked out, quickly sliding back away. "Twice, a few centuries ago. Some whaler was going after a pod, with a little calf I had raised. I sunk their ship, drowned all fifteen men. Then, a few years after that I heard some woman screaming, crying at the water's edge. I tried to sing, but then a man came. He looked like he might hurt her, so I called to him instead. After he was dead the woman came after me screaming that I had killed her love." Her eyes fell. "I gave it up after that, coming to the Caribbean. It was warm, relatively safe. A few others followed, social outcasts like me. We set up shop here when the city was developing big time, staying quiet and just living our lives."

He only had a few questions about that. "Centuries?"

"We can live millennia if we aren't killed by humans or our own kind."

"Alright, what about social outcasts?"

"Killing humans is just something a mermaid does. Those who don't tend to be shunned." She continued eating, looking up at him every few bites. "Do you hate me for that? For killing them?"

He should, Horatio knew that he should. But he couldn't. "You were doing what you thought was right."

The empty container joined the others, piled between them. He opened a fresh box. Kiya quickly dove in, finally speaking after she had eaten half the roll. "Your friends, they seem like good people."

"They are."

She laughed, "I like you, everything's so simple when you're here." She looked down, staring at the tray. "You're a good person." Her head suddenly jerked up, eyes staring out towards the water. "Come with me, I want to show you something."

"In the water?"

"Yes! Don't worry about the other one, I'll protect you." She quickly slid off the dock, darting from side to side in the water. "Come on!"

He ran back to his car, dumping his phone, wallet, most everything except for the key to the car. He locked it, running barefoot to the water's edge. Kiya was still twitching, waiting for him. He fumbled out to her, stumbling into her arms. This may be foolish, but he actually trusted her. Kiya quickly grabbed his arms, sliding around so that she was above his back. "Take a deep breath."

He breathed in, holding it, and them they were off. Water fizzed by, bubbles rising from their passage. She came up every once in a while so that he could breathe. The waves were growing rougher, more wild as a storm began to blow towards Miami. It hardly seemed to bother Kiya, twisting and turning through currents and riptides. Finally she stopped, and she pulled him deeper into the water. When he tried to go back to the surface, she pressed her lips to his and breathed for him. He had to admit that he liked that bit. Once he had some air, she let out a piercing note. Answering ones came, and Horaito could make out more mermaids coming. If they thought his presence odd, they didn't say anything. They quickly began to sing, and he could feel the music in the water. The rough movement ceased, calming under the song. Kiya sang as well, breaking off only to give him more air.

This song, it wasn't like the one he had heard earlier. It calmed him, and he could feel the worries of that day leaving. The drownings, gone. His guilt, gone. All he kew was the up and down of the waves, and Kiya's lips when he gave him air. The song drew to an end, and he felt like he had lost something, but it wasn't bad. Losing that something was good, it shouldn't have been with him anyway. He floated happily as Kiya swam them back to where he had left his car. She pulled him up so that he was lying on the shore, then leaned over him.

"Thank you." He said, reaching up to touch her hair. "It was amazing."

Kiya smiled, "I thought you might like it. You need to get home though. Get to sleep. Mermaids can wipe you out."

"I can sleep here." He replied.

"Go home, Horatio."

"You said my name." He wanted to laugh. "You said it."

Kiya rolled her eyes. "You silly man, you've been around me to long today." He thought she was going to leave then, but she lowered herself down, quickly catching his lips in a kiss. It wasn't for air this time, but he still pulled her to him like a drowning man. Waves swirled around them as they broke farther away, but he didn't care. He didn't care that her tail felt slimy through his soaked pants, or that her breasts were pushing against his equally wet shirt. All he cared about was keeping her here, with him as long as he could. He had just drawn away for a moment, coughing as a stronger wave had broken over them. But then she was gone, merely a ripple in the water.

He watched her go, feeling like he had just lost something important.


End file.
